Recovering silver from solution.



T. A. ROSS.

RECOVERING SILVER FROM SOLUTION.

APPLIQATION FILED MAR. so, 1908.

901,124, y l j Patented Oct. 13,1908.

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PATENT ortica..

s'ELBY, CALIFORNIA.

RECOVEING SILVER FROM SOLUTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. i3, 1908.

Application led March 30, 1908. Serial No. 424,243.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. Ross, citi zen of the United States, residing atelby, in the county of Contra Costa andState of California, have invented new and' useful Improvements in Recovering Silver from Solution, of which the rfollowing, is a specification. 4

My inventionrelates to a means for recovering silver from'solution; and especially in a device for agitating the solution in a dissolvingtank during the process.

and in details of construction which will be more fully explained by .reference to the accompanying drawings, in Wliich-'-` Figure `1 is a plan. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 3 Ais a transverse section through the dissolver;

The silver is dissolved in sulfuric acid, and the solution Ais decanted into a` tank-2, which is 'called-a dissolver The solution is 'then in the form of a sulfate of silver. This solution must becontinually agitated in this tank, and this agitation has been formerly effected by the use ofmanually-operated paddles or stirrerS, necessitating the constant attention of an operatori` In my device I employ air or steam under pressure, which is introduced through a pert'orated pipe into the bottom of the dissolver in. such a manner as to cause a steady and perfect agitation.

In the operation of recovering silver from such solution, the solution is passed through a coke filter, at 3, and into a settler 4c; this settler having vertical partiti-ons `5, with openings or spaces alternately near the bottom, and near the top so that the solution flowing there-.through takes a sinuous course. It then passes through a second coke tilter and into the precipitating tank 7 This .tank is here shown with a central longitudinal diaphragm and partition 8 so that the solution may flow through the tank upon one side of the diaphragm, and return' upon the other. 1

The tank is filled with coppcr-plates 9 which are suspended so as to be immersed in the passing solution, and the silver contained in the solution is precipitated upon these plates. The *silver being thus 'deposited upon the plates and the solution having parted With the greater portion.- of the silver, it is again returned into 'the dissolver 2 by pump or injector.

It consists in the combination of'parts,`

l In the present case I have shown a steam injector 10, the suction branch of which eX- tends into the precipitating tank, and the other end discharges into' the dissolverT 2. The steam thus employed in the injector, keeps the solution at la temperature most favorable for the operation. The depleted solution returned to the dissolver and agitated therein again becomes saturated with the silver sulfate contained in the dissolver, and again passes through the precipitator until the silver in the-dissolver is substantially exhausted, and anew charge supplied.

In order to keep up the proper agitation in the dissolver 2, I have shown a pipell extending into the -bottom of the dissolver tank and perforated. This pipe may be prounder pressure, and a second valved pipe-13, through which steam may be admitted, if desired; the valves controlling the amount of air onsteam to be used.

The pipe is preferably carried upon a stirrer 14 about which it coils, so that the lower the solution to discharge the compressed fluid therefrom into the solution,l thus thoroughly agitating all parts, and causing it to be thoroughly saturated with the silver. By this means the agitation of the solution is effected automatically, and without special care, needing but a single attendant to look after the plates in the precipitator, and the other 4parts of the process.

The same agitating device maybe applied to the manufacture of copper sulfate, which requires a similar agitation. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by LettersPatent isl. Means foragitating value-bearing solutions, said means comprising a stirrermember and a lieXible pipe having its lower end carried by the stirrer-member and freely movable thereby and adapted to inject a compressed fluid into the body of the solution.

2. In an apparatus for recovering values from their solution, a dissolving tank, means ior circulating the solution to and from a vice within the tank for injecting a compressed iiuid into the solution and agitating thc solution Within the dissolving tank.

3. In an apparatus for recovering values from solutions, a dissolving tank, a settler and a precipitating tank in series, means for videdvwith a valved pipe 12 to admit air perforated end may be moved about within.

precipitating tank, and a freely movable dclio conveying the Solution through said tanks, means for returning the solution from which the value has been precipitated, to the dissolving tank, and means for continuously agitating the Solution Within said tank, Said meanal comprising` :i etirrer-member and a pipe coiled thereal'umy and having,` its lower end perforated and capable of being moved about within the solution, said encl adapted to discharge a fluid under preSSure into the l o iy of the solution.

l. In an apparatus for reeovering' values :from their Solution, a dissolving tank, ay Settler and a precipitating tank through which the Solution is caused to pasa, means for returningthe depleted solution from the precipitating tank, Said means consisting oi an THOMAS A. ROSS.

lYitnesses:

EMIL Pn'i'nusnx, Armen T. lions. 

